Fabric take-up mechanism for looms

ABSTRACT

A take-up mechanism for a loom having a controlling apparatus to selectively rotate the fabric take-up roll through any one of a plurality of predetermined distances during its intended function for controlling and selectively varying the density of the weft yarn in the fabric.

[111 3,837,368 [4 1 Sept, 24, 1974 United States Patent [1 1 Budzyna' et al.

3,010,482 11/1961 White ct a1. 139/24 X 3,160,177 12/1964 Williams et 139/24 FABRIC TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR LOOMS [75] Inventors: Joseph M. Budzyna, E. Douglas;

9 0 3 W mu ms M m m M Din m m M ma WU T m NH G7 m 4 6 2 William E. Turner, Hopedale, both of Mass.

[73] Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation,

OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1,147,538, 4-1 8-1963, German Application (Krause), 139-309.

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 343,127

Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi ABSTRACT -up mechanism for a loom having a controlling apparatus to selectively rotate the fabric take-up roll through any one of a plurality of predetermined distances during its intended function for controlling and selectively varying the density of the weft yarn in 'the fabric.

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3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,793 7/1931 McKnight........................... 139/309 Pmmwsfim m I 3.837.368

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SELECTIVE CONTROL. UN IT L BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention:

The invention pertains to the take-up mechanism in a loom having a take-up roll that is incrementally rotated for receiving and advancing the fabric as it is formed. By selectively rotating the take-up roll through any one of a plurality of predetermined distances, the desired number of picks of weft in any given area of the fabric can be had and a plurality of weft yarns of different yarn counts drawn from independent sources can be selected and inserted into the sheds formed by warp yarns.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

The function of a take-up roll in a loom take-up mechanism is to provide a predetermined number of weft threads in a fixed length of woven fabric, all of which is well known to those conversant in the weaving art.

Certain United States patents disclose devices for producing either a decrease or an increase in the condensation of the weft in the woven fabric to form what is commonly known as thick and thin places that give the fabric a transverse striped effect. For a more detailed description of such devices attention is directed to US. Pat. Nos. 1,833,046 and 1,833,884 to H. H. Burdett and C. H. Draper respectively.

Another apparatus for affecting the density of weft in woven fabric is that of directing the fabric through a pair of draw-off rollers the rotational speed of which is changeable by separate gear trains that are engageable into driving relation with the rollers by separate clutching arrangements. Such an apparatus is shown and described in US. Pat. No. 2,823,707 to J. Rabeux.

Unlike the devices of the prior art the present invention utilizes the conventional take-up roll of a looms take-up apparatus. By means of a selectively controlled driving mechanism the take-up roll can be rotated through any one of a plurality of predetermined distances so that a different and precise number of picks can be selectively controlled in any chosen area of the fabric in accordance with the dictates of any desired pattern. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Looms to which the present invention is applicable utilize a take-up roll that is incrementally rotated by a ratchet wheel and a feed pawl operatively associated therewith. The feed pawl engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel and as it is pivoted to and fro by a suitable drive means, said ratchet wheel is rotated a distance determined by the number of teeth formed thereon.

With the present invention the shaft for supporting the ratchet wheel has been extended and has a plurality of ratchet wheels mounted thereon each of which is provided with a different number of teeth. Each ratchet wheel is provided with a feed pawl selectively engageable therewith and a cooperating hold back'pawl for maintaining the ratchet wheels in their advanced position each time they are incrementally rotated.

By means of a selective control unit and individual control elements responsive thereto which are interconnected with the various sets of feed pawls any one 2, of the plurality of ratchet wheels can be activated by selectively moving its feed pawl into mesh with the teeth of that particular ratchet wheel. The remaining sets of feed pawls are held out of mesh with their respective ratchet wheels by the units control members.

In accordance with a predetermined pattern, a change from one ratchet wheel to another is effected through the selective control unit by disengaging the feed pawl of a previous selected ratchet wheel and simultaneously selectively engaging another feed pawl with the particular ratchet wheel associated therewith.

The invention also includes a separate fabric let back device for each of the plurality of ratchet wheels and includes a spring biased and pivotably supported. let back pawl operatively linked to each of the control elements of the selective control unit. In the event of a loom knock-off as a result of some loom malfunction or a manually stopping of the loom, the feed and hold back pawls are disengaged from the active ratchet wheel while the let back pawl remains engaged with the teeth thereof. This let back pawl is fixed on the end of a rod member the latter of which is spring biased and movable longitudinally relative to the axis of said rod member. A collar fixed in a gauged location on the let back pawls supporting rod member permits the ratchet wheel to let back a predetermined distance chosen to meet the conditions of the prevailing weaving requirements.

An object of the invention is to provide means for selectively varying the number of picks of weft in woven fabric as it is formed. 7

A further object of the invention is to increase the patterning possibilities in woven fabric by providing means for selectively controlling the density of weft in the fabric which permits utilization of a plurality of sources of weft of different yarn counts.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and as the following detailed description proceeds in reference to the figures of drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the forward left hand side of a loom with the fabric take-up mechanism according to the invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the fabric take-up mechanism in FIG. 1 showing one of the ratchet wheels and its respective pawl members in operating position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showingthe position of the pawl members in the event of a loom knock-off; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but showing the position of the pawl members when a ratchet wheel is deactivated by the selective control unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 only those parts of a loom have been shown which are required for a complete understanding of the invention.

The loom comprises the usual side frames of which a portion of the left hand frame is shown at 10. A conventional form of take-up roll is shown at 11 and is normally provided with a roughened outer surface to grip the fabric which it is caused to advance toward a cloth roll 12 on which said fabric is wound. The take-up roll 11 traverses the distance between the side frames and is incrementally rotated by the looms take-up mechanism generally indicated by numeral 13.

The take-up mechanism includes among its many parts a supporting base 14 which by any suitable means not shown is fixed to the forward side of frame adjacent the bottom thereof and extending laterally from the latter it supports at its outer end an upwardly directed support stand 15. Intermediate the ends of this support stand 15 a shaft 16 is supported adjacent one end for rotary movement. Shaft 16 traverses the distance between the support stand 15 and frame 10 and extends through an opening (not shown) in the latter to operatively connect with a gear train 17 (partially shown in FIG. 1) which is contained within a housing 18. The gear train 17 within housing 18 is operatively connected to the take-up roll 11 and whatever incremental distance shaft 16 is caused to rotate, its rotary movement is transmitted to said take-up roll through said gear train 17.

Shaft 16 supports a plurality of ratchet wheels or socalled pick wheels intermediate the support stand 15 and the outer side of the frame 10. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 shows four ratchet wheels which are identified by numerals 19, 20, 21 and 22 respectively. Each of these ratchet wheels is provided with a different number of ratchet teeth which enable the shaft 16 to be incrementally rotated a distance governed by the number of teeth and which will be more fully described hereinafter.

Each of the ratchet wheels 19, 20, 21 and 22 function in a like manner by duplicate sets of cooperating elements and for purpose of brevity only ratchet wheel 19 and the cooperating elements for effecting its incremental rotation will be described in detail.

Although the illustrated embodiment in FIG. 1 shows four ratchet wheels being operatively associated with shaft 16, it should be understood that modifications to the take-up could easily be made which would enable a lesser or even greater number of ratchet wheels to be utilized.

The hub of each ratchet wheel has assembled therein a roller type clutch such as sold by The Torrington Co. of Torrington, Connecticut and permit the ratchet wheels to be rotated only in an anti-clockwise direction when performing their intended function as illustrated in the various figures of drawing.

Each of the ratchet wheels are provided with a double armed driving lever pivotably supported on shaft 16 immediately adjacent to its respective ratchet wheel.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the driving lever for ratchet wheel 19 is identified generally by numeral 23 and includes a generally upwardly directed arm 24 and a generally horizontally directed arm 25. A pin 26 is fixed on arm 24 adjacent its upper end and extending laterally from said arm it overlies the teeth of ratchet wheel 19 and provides a means for the pivotal support of a feed pawl 27. An L" shaped rod 28 is fixed on the upper end of arm 24 and serves as an overthrow stop for the feed pawl 27 during the performance of latters intended function.

The generally horizontally directed arm of the driving lever 23 has a block member 29 carried thereon which is longitudinally adjustable along the length of said arm by means of a set screw 30. An integrally formed ear 31 depends from the lower end of block 29 and provides a connecting point for the upper end of a driving rod 32. The lower end of the driving rod 32 is attached by means of a bolt 33 to a forwardly directed arm 34 of a motion transfer member 35 (FIG. 1). This motion transfer member is in the form of a sleeve pivotably supported, intermediate the support stand 15 and frame 10, on a shaft 36 the ends of which are journalled in aligned openings (not shown) provided in said stand and frame. As shown in FIG. 1, the motion transfer member 35 is provided with a plurality of aligned forwardly directed arms like that of 34 which are disposed in spaced relation and serve to actuate the other driving levers by means of driving rods like that of 32 to rotate their respective ratchet wheels when selected as will be described.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the motion transfer member 35 also includes a single depending driving arm 37 having pivotably attached adjacent its lower end the forward end of a rearwardly directed crank arm 38. The opposite end of this crank arm 38 is pivotably connected to a crank member 39 which is carried by and rotatable with a gear 40. Gear 40 is rotated by another gear member (not shown) in mesh therewith which is driven from any suitable source of rotary motion on the loom.

With reference to FIG. 2 it can easily be seen how the rotational movement of crank member 39 is transmitted to the ratchet wheel 19 for the various cooperating elements which transmit this motion are illustrated in both solid and phantom line positions which is the limit of their movement by said crank member. It should also be noted that the amount of movement of the feed pawl 27 is easily increased or decreased either by longitudinal adjustment of block member 29 on arm 25 or the positioning of the lower end of the driving rod 32 at any desired location within the limits of a slot 41 provided in arm 34.

The upper end of the support stand 15 extends above the plurality of ratchet wheels and is adapted to support one end of a shaft 42 with the opposite end thereof being supported in an aligned opening (not shown) provided in the frame 10. Intermediate the support stand 15 and the frame 10, shaft 42 has pivotably assembled thereon a hold back pawl 43 for each ratchet wheel and immediately adjacent to each pawl a rearwardly extending arcuated arm 44. In FIG. 1 the hubs of the pawl 43 and the arcuated arm 44 are identified by numerals 45 and 46 respectively. Each hub 45 and 46 is provided with an integrally formed and upwardly directed arcuated finger, with that of hub 45 being depicted by numeral 47, and that of hub 46 by numeral 48. Adjacent the terminus portion of each arcuated finger 47 and 48 there is provided a tapped hole into which is assembled a cap screw 49 the heads of which are in abutting relation with the leg portion of an L- shaped plate member 50 (FIG. 1). This plate member 50 is pivotably supported on shaft 42 by means of a yoked collar 51 disposed immediately adjacent to the inner side of stand 15 and the opposite end attached to a collar (not shown) by any suitable means, such as by welding which is disposed immediately adjacent to the frame 10. Plate member 50 is provided with an upwardly directed foot portion 51 at its inner end and is disposed so as to be in contact with the tip of a screw 52 that is carried in a depending support finger 53 assembled on the looms so-called shipper shaft 54 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4). This support finger 53 is fixed on shaft 54 by means of a set screw 55 and is caused to move with said shaft when the looms shipper handle 56 is moved between operating and non-operating positions. The shipper handle 56 is fixed on shaft 54 by means of a set screw 57. FIG. 2 illustrates the shipper handle 56 in operating position which permits the feed and hold back pawls 27 and 43 respectively to be in engagement with the teeth of the active ratchet wheel 19. FIG. 3 illustrates the shipper handle 56 in nonoperating position or in other words a position which knocks the loom off as a result of some malfunction or which has been manually stopped. When moved to this position, screw 52 is caused to pivot plate member 50 in the direction of the indicating arrow 58 in FIG. 3. With plate member 50 being in contact with screws 49 this movement pivots the feed and hold back pawls 27 and 43 respectively to that position shown in FIG. 3. The feed pawl by this movement is actually lifted out of engagement with the ratchet wheel teeth by the upward movement of the arcuated arm 44 making contact with a laterally extending pin 59 which extends from the side of said feed pawl.

When the shipper handle is moved to its operating position shown in FIG. 2 the force of screw 52 on plate member 50 is removed and by means of a torsion spring 60 (FIG. 1) operatively connected to the hold back pawl 43 the latter is caused to pivot into mesh with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 19. With this force removed, the weight of the arcuated arm 44 causes it to pivot downwardly and allows the feed pawl 27 to drop into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

Referring now to the means for selectively changing from one ratchet wheel to another, there is provided a selective control unit 61 which may be one of any suitable known type. Since the selective control unit is effective in activating and deactivating each ratchet wheel in the same manner and by duplicate mecha nisms, for purpose of brevity only the mechanism for selectively controlling ratchet wheel 19 will be de scribed in detail.

The dictates of the selective control unit are transmitted to the ratchet wheel 19 by connecting linkage which in the preferred embodiment is shown as a Bowden Wire 62.

Below the plurality of ratchet wheels, a shaft 63 extends between the frame and the support stand where it is fixed by means of aligned openings in said frame and stand. A double armed lever generally indicated by numeral 64 is pivotably supported on shaft 63 and includes an elongated hub portion 65 having an axial bore within which a rod 66 is slidably assembled. A let back pawl 67 is fixed to the forward end of rod 66 by means of a cap screw 68 and said rod is biased in a forwardly direction by a coil spring 69. One end of coil spring 69 is attached to the base portion of a first arm 70 of the double armed lever 64 and the opposite end to a collar 71 fixed on rod 66 adjacent its rearward end.

The double armed lever 64 is also biased in an anticlockwise direction by a coil spring 72 and serves to maintain the let back pawl 67 in engagement with the teeth of the selected ratchet wheel. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, one end of spring 72 is attached to the support stand 15 and the opposite end to an integrally formed lug 73 depending from collar 71.

A collar 74 is assembled on rod 66 intermediate the hub portion 65 and the let back pawl 67 and depending on the distance it is spaced from said hub portion determines the amount of let back of the ratchet wheel in the event the feed pawl and hold back pawl are disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet wheel as shown in FIG. 3.

The second arm of the double armed lever 64 is identified by numeral 75 and extends angularly rearward from the hub portion 65. The lower end of a generally upwardly directed push rod 76 (FIGS. 2 and 4) is pivotally connected to the end of the second arm 75 and its upper end extends through and beyond an opening 77 provided in a laterally extending lip 78 provided on the lower portion of a guide bracket 79 which assembles to the side of the arcuated arm 44 by means of bolts 80. Immediately below the lip 78 and in contact therewith push rod 76 has a collar 81 fixed thereon which serves a purpose yet to be described.

The Bowden Wire 62 from the selective control unit 61 is connected to the first arm of the double armed lever 64 by means of a coil spring 81' and spring connector 82.

To summarize the operation only a single ratchet wheel is caused to be incrementally rotated while the feed pawls for the remaining ratchet wheels are held out of engagement with the teeth of their respective ratchet wheels.

FIG. 2 shows ratchet wheel 19 as having been selected with its feed pawl 27 and let back pawl 67 in mesh with the teeth thereof. When the selective control unit calls for another ratchet wheel to be activated two of the Bowden Wire members are caused to move simultaneously and each in a direction opposite of the other. To deactivate a ratchet wheel its associated Bowden Wire is pulled downwardly by the selective control unit. This movement pivots the double armed lever 64 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4 and pulls the let back pawl 67 out of engagement with the teeth of its respective ratchet wheel. When lever 64 is caused to pivot in a clockwise direction push rod 76 is forced upwardly by the second arm and the collar 81 on said push rod being forced against lip 78 of the guide bracket 79 pivots the arcuated arm 44 upwardly causing feed pawl 27 to be pivoted out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The hold back pawl during this movement remains in contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and prevents let back of the takeup roll 11.

To activate a ratchet wheel during deactivation of another the dictates of the selective control unit 61 permit the Bowden Wire individual thereto to move in an upwardly directionIThis movement permits the double armed lever 64 to pivot in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 by the action of coil spring 72 attempting to seek its free length. Moving in an anticlockwise direction as described pivots the let back pawl into engagement with the teeth of the selected ratchet wheel. At this time push rod 76 moves downwardly with the second arm 75 and releases the force of collar 81 upon the lip 78 of guide bracket 79 thus permitting the arcuated arm 44 to be lowered causing the feed pawl to pivot into engagement with the teeth of the selected ratchet wheel.

When the shipper handle 56 is caused to be moved from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 3, both the feed pawl 27 and hold back pawl 43 are pivoted out of engagement with the teeth of the active ratchet wheel. During this time the let back pawl 67 remains in contact with the teeth for no selection has been made by the control unit. The biasing force of rod 66 permits pawl 67 let back a predetermined distance which is governed by the spaced position of the collar 74 on said rod 66 relative to the hub portion 65 of the double armed lever 64.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a loom having a take-up roll for withdrawing fabric as it is formed an improved means for driving the take-up roll comprising:

a. a shaft member operatively connected to the takeup roll to effect movement thereof;

b. a plurality of independently rotatable ratchet wheels mounted on said shaft member, said ratchet wheels each having a different number of ratchet teeth;

c. drive means for engaging the ratchet teeth on said ratchet wheels to effect movement thereof; and

(1. control means for operatively engaging said drive means with an individual preselected ratchet wheel while disengaging said drive means from the remaining ones of said ratchet wheels.

2. The improved means for driving a take-up roll according to claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a feed pawl for each of said ratchet wheels, a pivotal lever for supporting each feed pawl, a motion transfer member connected to each said pivotal levers and a rotatably driven crank member operatively linked to said motion transfer member.

3. The improved means for driving a take-up roll according to claim 2 wherein said control means includes a selective control unit with individual actuating members operatively interconnected with each of said feed pawls for selectively engaging any one of said feed pawls with its respective ratchet wheel while holding the remainder of said feed pawls out of engagement with their respective ratchet wheels. 

1. In combination with a loom having a take-up roll for withdrawing fabric as it is formed an improved means for driving the take-up roll comprising: a. a shaft member operatively connected to the take-up roll to effect movement thereof; b. a plurality of independently rotatable ratchet wheels mounted on said shaft member, said ratchet wheels each having a different number of ratchet teeth; c. drive means for engaging the ratchet teeth on said ratchet wheels to effect movement thereof; and d. control means for operatively engaging said drive means with an individual preselected ratchet wheel while disengaging said drive means from the remaining ones of said ratchet wheels.
 2. The improved means for driving a take-up roll according to claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a feed pawl for each of said ratchet wheels, a pivotal lever for supporting each feed pawl, a motion transfer member connected to each said pivotal levers and a rotatably driven crank member operatively linked to said motion transfer member.
 3. The improved means for driving a take-up roll according to claim 2 wherein said control means includes a selective control unit with individual actuating members operatively interconnected with each of said feed pawls for selectively engaging any one of said feed pawls with its respective ratchet wheel while holding the remainder of said feed pawls out of engagement with their respective ratchet wheels. 